Targets of Doctor–Patient Interview

Empathy, e.g., “Oh, dear, you must be worried about the complications!”

3.

Validation, e.g., “I can understand why you felt the way you did. If I were in your place, I would have felt the same way too.”

Information: Obtain information from the patient using the following techniques:

1.

Silence: You will get multiple cases on the USMLE about the fact that you should never interrupt your patient while he or she is talking. If the patient is very talkative, try to aim for closed-ended questions, but never interrupt the patient.